You are right Mike, that did sound too personal. Apologies.
I was using your argument as a generic example of what I see as the biggest problem in the UK economy.
That is the utter disconnect between public and private sectors. A public sector that expects guaranteed everything with terms of employment which sound like a benefit scheme not a job.
It is never impacted by adverse change, so it becomes easy to clamour for more of this or less of that, accusing the private sector of greed, or goverment of incompetence because for them it is easy: it wont cost anything (ie never for the public sector!) so it is only "lack of compassion" or such utterly unfair and disingenuous argument that causes budgets to be limited.
If I were to change one thing, I would make the entire public sector pensions and salaries linked to economic growth both up and DOWN!! Then we would be in it together. The private sector was trashed on COVID. We are headed for 14 percent reduction in GDP. All public sector salaries and pensions should reduce accordingly.
Which is why I saw your comment on "employment" as an embodiment of Marie Antoinette. A let them eat cake approach to other jobs.
If those in the public sector knew how difficult long term sustainable job creation was, they would applaud Richard Branson and Mike Ashley, These people are vilified. They would not be so quick to encourage job losses. They would not applaud Cult NHS who in the end just do the job they are paid to do. The reason there are so few entrepreneurs with 10000 employee businesses is that that is the hardest thing to do! Branson created minimum 250000 man years of employment possibly 500000.
And worse cult NHS abuse the easy conditions. They all retire at 60 or less, many come back as contractors to screw NHS yet more whilst claiming pensions!. In the clamour against "Privatization" most seem to ignore the fact the GPs privatized NHS at inception the day their "Mouths were stuffed with Gold" . All the public sector and union rhetoric is wrong demonstrating a woeful disconnect between sectors.
Did you know that entrepreneurs have some of the highest suicide rates there are? All entrepreneurs know a couple whose problems got so bad they took that way out. Did you know doctors have some of the lowest. Keeping companies afloat and paying other peoples wages is real stress. But that too is a disconnect. Teachers we are told have the stressful existence. They should try keeping companies afloat!
Most people seem unaware: Ashley decided he wanted to employ local people in his supply chain and not go robotics which in hindsight he should have done. He preferred to employ. He got a gross kicking for his trouble. The problem is if he is to compete with those using robots, the employees are obliged to keep up the run rate. So the attacks on Ashley are wholly unfounded. People want the money his companies generate but then want to kick the golden goose that funds the NHS. Branson has had a dreadful time of public bodies refusing to play fair according to their own rule books. He has every right to sue, if they dont follow their procurement guidelines. They never do with him.
I defy a public sector employee to tell me why facilities management is the only desirable way to perform routine services. They do not have the life experience to say. It is not about saving money or a "racket" as corbyn once said..
But taking your thought further, I have to wonder if you know where drugs (for example) come from?
OH has spent much of her life on aeroplanes, because even though big pharma and industry went to video call a full decade before parliament, doesnt altar the fact that every supplier of every part of the supply chain of a new drug has to be validated.You cannot audit a plant remotely. If you did FDA and EMA would throw the dossier out at regulatory stage. That means validation for all the failures as well as the successful drugs. Most drugs fail long before the public, indeed most medics ever hear of them.
Or take my history, exporting high tech. We do need foreign income, and in any event there are not enough resources or money for every country to develop every product at home. The drug sector is no exception. So export import is how the economies have run since Bronze age times. So an army of people criss cross the globe to do everything from site appraisals for new plant, train employees on new plant, mend oil pipe lines, and a million other high skill occupations. In addition air courier is the only way you can get anything quickly. It is wonderland to kill globalization.
Like PPE for example. A lot of the unsuitable ventilators and PPE are precisely because lack of travel has prevented the normal product validations which would precede purchases.
I see much of the public sector as totally myopic.
If I was to make a single change that put us all on the same side, I would force ALL pensions and public sector salaries to be linked to economic growth, not all these "guaranteed terms". MPs control return in economy. THey should be paid on that basis. For sure have the small inflation linked pension, but occupational pensions should follow economic invest ment rules.
Then all would care about the golden goose that is private enterprise. Not treat it as a greedy leper.
Originally Posted by Mike T
